Preschool drop-off with infant in the cold

[Ravenclaw]

I have to drop off DD at pre-school with my 6 mos old in tow. I have to go inside the building to drop her off. I've been taking the baby in the Ergo but I'm not sure what to do as it gets colder (Minnesota colder!) If DS was smaller, I could have wrapped him in my coat with ergo underneath my coat but I think he's too big for both of us to fit and still be able for me to cover him with it. I know you're not supposed to strap them in their car seats with heavy jackets on but it seems like a pain to put it on once we get to school for the 60 seconds or so we're outside. The only other option I can think of is getting a BundleMe for the car seat. I need one hand free to hold DD's hand in the parking lot so I'd have to attach the car seat to the stroller to do that, which also seems like a pain for those 60 seconds. Are those my only options? Any other ideas?

[SoonerTexan]

Yikes that sounds like "fun"

Good call on not using the coat in the cars eat though. I just read a horrifying blogpost on that subject


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[Michele]

I don't have any experience with that level of cold, but a woven wrap might be an option. Or what about just putting him in the Ergo and wrapping a blanket or shawl type thing around you all? Or buying a baby wearing coat or an extra large coat to go over you both?

[Deebs]

I have a LOT of experience with this. I did always have a bundle me, but you don't necessarily need it. Leave the baby in the car seat (I'm assuming you have a stroller you can snap it into?). Pop it on the stroller, put a pile of blankets on the baby - over the carseat (or shove them into the Bundle Me). It will be much faster and easier than anything else. Plus, then you don't have the cold of leaving the carseat, even if it's just to transition to babywearing. I'm also assuming it's a very quick drop off.

[SuzySunshine]

When we were in MN I had one of these, it kept baby warm and zipped up completely without the danger of having something between him and the straps or having to take the baby out of the carseat in the cold.

http://www.babypolargear.com/infant_car_seat_cover.htm

[houseelf]

Memories....

At DD's preschool during drop off, one teacher was designated to be in the parking lot overseeing things and people left their infants in the car. Obviously, this depends on neighborhood demographics, parking lot flow, parents' comfort level, etcetera, but it might be worth a chat with the preschool administrators.

[scrub-jay]

This is going to suck for me. Ours is in a federal building with extensive security including a metal detector. Babies have to be separated from their carriers so we can put the carriers through the xray machine. Good times. *sigh* I'll probably use a bunch of blankets to bundle, I'm not sure yet.

[Auspicious]

I think I did this
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r9VUgVmyfh.../MVI_3272a.jpg
in the carseat and then just hoisted her up onto my hip. It's fleece no thicker than a sweater but covers fingers and ears and neck, and she was happy as a clam. I could send it to you if you'd like--we're done with it and I think I still have it.

Otherwise I vote for SuzySunshine's method. I had a bundleme but I think those "shower-cap-style" covers are better.

[migirl]

I had something similar to what SuzySunshine posted, and just stuffed a blanket around baby (over straps but underneath the cover).

[diggitydot]

When we lived in the lake-effect weather area of Lake Michigan, our friends with babies used the crazy heavy zip-up covers and then covered the whole thing with another heavy blanket type cover that connected to the handle and draped over the carseat on all sides to make a little cozy tent-like structure. Their babies didn't bat an eye when taken out of the car. I wish they'd had those when our stooges were that little. Completely brilliant.

[BonBon]

I would talk to the preschool admins about having drop-off. We used that at our preschool - the teacher assts would wait by the front door and as the parents drove up they would get the kids out of the car, escort them to their cubbies, help them get their coats off and take them to a room where a teacher read stories. They then divided everyone up by classroom and escorted them to their respective classes. It was a nice way to do it because that parking lot can get really congested.

[Ravenclaw]

It's the public preschool here and I know they've discussed drop-off changes but they just don't have the resources.
Auspicious - thanks for the offer. I have something like that but I still feel like it might not be thick enough for when it gets really cold.
I think I'm going to get the Arctic BundleMe. Even though the stroller will be a pain for me (will have to wait for an ancient elevator), baby will be less exposed to the elements. Gotta love living in the tundra!

[alison]

Do the stroller... There is one little boy who takes off running down the alley at full speed to the nearest busy street. Every single day. I would have yelled the crap out of my kid if she were to do this, but that's beside the point. The mom used to bring the young sibling in a carrier, but when she had to run after her son with little baby bobbing up and down as she ran, it was just easier for her to put the brakes on the stroller and have her hands free(r) to tackle the older boy.